When I got to the property, the concrete crew were already set up for boring the piers for the main house. The rig had started on the first couple of holes.

The pieces of plywood are set out where each pier will be dug. It’s a little hard to tell from this shot, but it looked like someone had scattered giant playing cards or poker chips around the site when they started.

My assistant had worked on the weekend to take down the “corral” around the roses. It looks so different without it. I put it up with a former gardening assistant in—I think—2004.

We knew nothing about putting in fences, but he was a big, strong guy. We went up to install it just as the dirt was drying out, but it was still possible to dig holes with a post-hole digger. I had a wonderful post level, that hooked around all four sides of a post, with levels on two sides, to get the post perfectly straight. We did such a good job leveling everything, then the dirt dried out and all the posts started leaning every which way! This was my first experience with expansive clay—very graphic.

Kai and Jasmine, who is in charge of the pour, walk past the rig. I understand that Jasmine is the daughter of the sub-contractor, Robert Kline. She was in charge of the pours on the barn and cottage as well, which as far as I could tell, went like clockwork.

These pier and grade beam foundations are immensely complicated, full of cages and rebar mats, and seeing the care with which the previous slabs were poured, I am quite respectful of her skill and knowledge.